Tales from the Wastelands
by Silver-Eyed-Rukia
Summary: Tales from the Wastelands, told from the perspective of the vault dweller and her favourite gal-pal reporter Piper Wright. 2nd Tale: Campfire Stories. Shepard tells Piper about some things she used to do back before the war as they're both huddled up around the fire to keep them warm. Sadly, the warmth from just the fire isn't enough so the survivor gets a better idea.
1. Of Rifles and Memories

**Tales from the Wastelands  
**

 **1st Tale: Of rifles and memories**

by

 _Silver-Eyed Rukia_

 **Rated:** T

 **Pairing:** Piper x F!Survivor (Jordan Shepard)

 **Note:** Please ignore any mistakes. Or point them out and correct me, whatever you prefer.

* * *

A soft wind blew over the hill, rustling through the bleak bushes and dead branches of the atomically devastated terrain. The sun glared down on the ground below with blinding intensity which was odd considering it was still supposed to be the beginning of spring, but nuclear war seemed to have changed more than just the landscape and its inhabitants.

A sudden strong gust sent some of the branches tumbling about wildly, a dangerously loud cracking noise resonating through the field in the process. A shot sounded, no impact, and an annoyed sigh escaped the reporters lips before her head popped up from somewhere behind a line made up of bushes, tree stumps and fallen logs.

"It landed somewhere in between the shack to the left and the dead car just behind the can."

Sphene coloured eyes followed the outstretched finger and Piper stood up, stretching her tired back until she felt a satisfying pop and slung the rifle over her shoulder before she started massaging her tired forearms.

"We've been at this for about an hour now, Blue. And so far the only thing I was able to hit was anything but the actual target. And your nose with the rifle butt. Still sorry for that by the way."

The vault dweller rose as well, binoculars dangling from her neck and her seemingly never disappearing faint smile ghosting over her lips. "We're targeting something a couple hundred yards away, I am surprised you managed to hit anything at all. I actually expected you to kill some molerats while we're at it."

"With a sniper rifle."

A slender eyebrow rose. "You wouldn't believe the things I saw in training."

"Right…"

The younger woman tugged at her messy ponytail. She wasn't used to her hair being all tied up and the pressure at the back of her head was a feeling that would take some getting used to. It was a thought that made her look away from the woman in front of her, shame filling her mind at the realization of how ridiculous something like that would sound to her. ' _Getting used to a ponytail. She had to get used to an entirely new world after literally everything was taken from her. Way to go Piper, local reporter manages to repeatedly make things awkward between herself and the only person she considers family besides her little sister._ '

"Earth to Miss Wright. You aren't off mentally planning out your next article again are you? I don't want to rise any further in the local popularity ranking."

She had been so caught up in her musings that she didn't even see Shepard approach until her strong yet gentle hand was placed on her shoulder, making her raise her gaze to meet the stunningly pure sapphires that were the woman's eyes. The smile was gone and Piper knew that whatever the redhead was thinking about, it was important to her. She rarely ever dropped it.

"Yeah, I'm here. Sorry Blue, must have spaced out for a second there. So what do you say, are you sure you want to continue teaching me or have you grown tired of searching my stray bullets yet?"

The previously on her shoulder resting hand traveled over her back to rest just above her behind, pulling her closer and against the armor covered front of her lover. The other hand came up to gently tug the hairband out of her midnight coloured tresses before running through them, smile returning onto her scarred face before a single kiss was placed on top of the reporter's mussed up hair.

"I'll never grow tired of being around you Pip, even if it may cause some unintentional nasal damage, but that's what stimpacks are for."

Piper scoffed and let out a short laugh before shoving Shepard away playfully. "I'm not your fancy pre-war body toy, so don't even start with that."

"Calling you Pip?"

A hum answered her question as the owner went back to lying down in position, rifle already loaded and ready to shoot by the time the redhead claimed the spot right next to her. "Piper's really not that long a name, you don't have to shorten it."

"Because that's why you call me Blue and not Shepard or Jordan."

"…touché." The reporter sent a crooked grin her way and the taller woman only shook her head at the motion. "Enough chatter now though, let's kick the can so we can go back, I'm starving."

They went through their already established routine of checking the weapon, the target, their position and all other necessary details before they actually started with shooting practice. They had covered 200 yards a couple weeks ago and were now trying to get the raven-haired woman to hit the 300-yard mark.

"How'd you get so good at this?"

"Talking isn't a requirement here, Piper. It messes up your aim."

The smaller woman turned her head to look at the familiar profile of her love, momentarily surprised at just how familiar it already was to her despite not even knowing the woman for that long. "You tell me your story, I leave you alone. And no, it's not for my newspaper. It's for me, personally."

"I am slowly starting to understand why the mayor wants to chase you out of Diamond City with pitchforks and torches", Shepard mused humorously before she nodded her head towards the target. "Tell you what. You hit the can, I tell you what you want to hear. Deal?"

The reporter gave a cocky grin before turning back towards the rifle. "Oh you are _on_."

* * *

The sun was starting to disappear beyond the horizon when the pair found themselves sitting at the bar at the Third Rail, a still untouched bottle of beer sitting in front of the reporter while her taller companion was already enjoying the first sip of her bourbon, giving her a blissful smile when the liquor left a hot trail down her throat. Magnolia's jazz underlined voice carried through the repurposed underground station with ease, voice as strong and enticing as always.

The moment her glass hit the counter she was assaulted by an overly eager reporter, eyes shining in anticipation that was only matched by the smug smile that was adorning her features.

"I won our little bet so you have to spill it. You said something about training, meaning you were in the military before the war?"

Shepard unconsciously licked her lips and felt the bumpy skin of the scar running over part of it and her left cheek, a permanent reminder of the life she used to have, the life from over 200 years ago.

"Marine Corps. I was an instructor for a huge variety of firearms, thus my rather impressive knowledge of their usage", she started before taking another sip of her drink. "Firearms also included explosives, pretty much anything from mines to grenades and missiles."

Piper took a slow sip of her beer, eyes distant as if she was visualizing something from the top of her head before her gaze returned to the pale features of the redhead. "You mentioned a law degree though, if I remember correctly. If you had one, but also used to be in the Corps…how old exactly are you?"

"Something over 200, I forgot to keep count", she smirked and only shrugged when the reporter send a full-fledged pout her way. "I'm your very own pre-war relic, that's good enough." A loud bang resonated through the air, the sound coming from a door that had been shut rather violently and suddenly, as if someone had flipped a switch her expression dropped and her eyes darkened, mind not in the here and now anymore.

" _Careful soldier, they might be primed."_

 _The young Corporal continued his search, footsteps heavy on the debris covered floor as his blast suit added a good extra 80 pounds unto his frame._

" _They're corpses, Gunny. The rain of death from a few days back shouldn't have left a single human alive in here or the surrounding area."_

 _Shepard felt uneasy, something just didn't seem right. She knew that the bombardment had leveled the area, save for a few houses and buildings that had miraculously survived complete annihilation, but the rebels hadn't left the area entirely after the bombing. And that was what worried her._

 _She released a breath she didn't know she was holding and took a few steps forward, standing close to her lower ranked comrade who was currently examining one of the many mutilated bodies they had come across ever since they had been assigned to this place. The rest of the team was outside, far away enough to not get hit by the full force of a bomb if they should encounter one, but close enough to be of assistance if needed._

" _What is_ that?"

 _The redhead, also clothed in a full blast suit, followed the outstretched arm to what looked like a makeshift bomb, lying directly beneath the headless torso of what used to be a woman._

" _A decoy?"_

 _She shook her head and crouched down to get a better look at the object._

" _Looks like a dud. Give it a quick check, I'll secure the entrance."_

 _She hadn't taken as much as two steps when a sudden beeping noise crackled through their frequency, successfully cutting off any means of communication. Shepard turned her head towards her fellow soldier, realization dawning upon her as she grabbed the man by the collar of his suit and tried pulling him away, but too late._

She emptied her glass and slid some caps including a generous tip over the counter, heading for the staircase leading to the exit with quickened steps. Piper grabbed the rifle that had been resting next to her bar stool and waved a short goodbye to Whitechapel Charlie before hurrying after the taller woman. Ham gave them a curious look and Piper was sure that he would have raised an eyebrow if he still had some as they excited.

The music was abruptly replaced by the noise of the patrols doing their rounds as the door fell shut behind her, laughter and chatter ringing through the air and filling it with life. ' _Goodneighbor never sleeps it seems._ ' Piper found the survivor looking at the darkened sky, leaning against a broken lamp post. She approached her but before she could even do as much as ask if she was okay, the woman spoke and the lack of eye contact was oddly unsettling to her.

"Sorry for bailing on you like that, I hope Charlie won't charge us double for the rude exit next time."

"I said goodbye on your behalf. Well, waved goodbye to be specific but still." Her brownish-green eyes longed for their oh so familiar counterpart but when they found none her heart dropped, chest filling with worry at the uncharacteristic behavior from her love. "Look, Blue, I'm really sorry if I cracked open a can of worms back then, I really wasn't trying to-", she started but got interrupted by a firm, yet gentle, soul-searching kiss that left her mouth slightly ajar when Shepard pulled back, smile back in place and blue eyes resting on her features again.

"Don't you worry your clever little head off Piper, it's not your fault. I just needed some space, cool off a little."

The reporter smiled and shifted the rifle from her left side to her right when she felt the redhead wrap an arm around her shoulder as they started walking, blushing slightly and thanking the heaven's silently for it being dark enough to cover up her reddened cheeks. "Well aren't you just the sweetest little thing? How you ended up in the military is beyond me." Piper was curious, wanted to know what had triggered the unusual behavior but for now she was content with just being with her love, enjoying the time they spent together after a day of hard work.

Shepard laughed, a short, melodious sound, before she pressed another kiss against the reporter's temple and pulling her just a bit closer to her side. "You're shorter than me, just for the record. Now let's get back to Covenant before another Radscorpion pops out of nowhere in the middle of the night."

Piper hummed as she ran a lone finger over the scar across her lover's cheek, vividly remembering their latest encounter with the mutated specimen. "Yeah no, I can gladly pass up on that. You attract these things like a magnet, no wonder you got a bunch of these", she added and poked the other scar trailing over the woman's right eye, giggling when she received a faked look of hurt.

"I earned those, they weren't given to me you know?"

"Oh, do I sense a Story here?"

"You are a reporter, right down to the core."

The reporter shrugged as the pair left the city, digging around the pockets of her slacks and scribbling a short note unto the slightly crumbled up paper before slipping her now free hand into that of her love.

' _Personal note to self: Ask Blue where she got her scars from. They're oddly sexy._ '

* * *

So yeah, here it is: My very first FO4 Story. I only have like 2 days worth of playtime but goddamn I love Piper so goddamn much like jdbdjghdgkh I had to write a story. Or several. Yes, I already have like 4...I regret nothing.

Similar to my "Between the Lines" fanfiction this will contain a collection of one-shots that are in no linear order but do happen in the same universe. No regular updates, I update when I find the time/motivation to write :)

If anyone wants to know a little more about my survivor I will post a short summary of her on tumblr in the next few days along with pictures. She's a natural redhead, got a couple scars from her active service time, honorably discharged and pursued a career as a lawyer after leaving the military, all before 2077. (Because let's be honest: The main character can handle explosives and guns so well they have to have a military background...) And she reminded me so much of Shepard from ME for some reason that I gave her the same name I gave my FemShep in every single playthrough.

So yeah, until further stories: See you later my mates, girls, boys and non-binary people alike, love to all of you :)

 **PS:** Who found the Borderlands reference? :)

 **Phrase of the Day**

 _Take chances, make mistakes. That's how you grow. Pain nourishes your courage. You have to fail in order to practice being brave.  
_

~Mary Tyler Moore

 **If you liked it, please** **REVIEW**.

No flaming please.


	2. Campfire Stories

**Tales from the Wastelands  
**

 **2nd Tale: Campfire Stories  
**

by

 _Silver-Eyed Rukia_

 **Rated:** T

 **Pairing:** Piper x F!Survivor (Jordan Shepard)

 **Note:** Please ignore any mistakes. Or point them out and correct me, whatever you prefer.

* * *

The campfire was crackling away quietly as she tossed another branch into it, making the flames lick at her hands. Piper flinched away from the sudden heat while making an unhappy face at the miniature version of hell still spouting embers everywhere before she eyed the woman sitting opposite of her, seemingly oblivious to the spectacle that was their damn near nightly routine of staying warm when out in the field.

"Hey Blue", the reporter said as she kicked away some pebles and shoved aside some lose planks and larger rocks before laying out her bedroll on the wooden floor of the damaged shack they were currently resting in.

A hum was all she received as an ackowledgement of her having said anything at all and the smaller woman knew to not take that as an offense but rather as an encouragement to continue whatever she was about to say.

"I know I already asked you about that during your interview, but...how do you deal with all this?"

Shepard wiped the last stain of blood off her shotgun's machete before tossing the now soaked rag into the flames, watching them scurry away from the wetness before engulfing it completely, scorching it and leaving a smell of burnt skin in the air. It didn't bother her much, but Piper's scrunch of her nose gave her distaste of the smell away.

"Cleaning my weapons?", the older woman innocently replied as she stripped off her armor pieces, starting from the bottom and making her way up to her torso and arms. Her gaze caught that of her opposite and she couldn't contain the chuckle rising in her throat at the almost pouty look on her companion's face and she shrugged apologetically before sitting back down on her own makeshift bed.

"I know, bad joke. But I don't really have anything to add to what I already told you back in Diamond City."

The wind picked up in strength for a moment, strengthening the flames and making them illuminate the now nostalgic expression of the vault dweller. "Hope."

Piper paused her movement of lying down and instead opted on sitting there cross-legged, boots neatly placed atop her coat, and lit herself a cigarette out of pure habit. She took an absentminded drag, eyes resting on the scar running over the redhead's lips before she blew out the smoke and focused on the distant looking sapphires in the woman's face.

"Hoping for what?"

"That in the end, at least one thing I have done will change someone's life for the better."

The ex-soldier rid herself of her boots and tossed them over to where the rest of her gear was lying before placing the shotgun in arm's reach if she would ever need it in the middle of the night.

"This world's already suffered enough. The people have, too. Despite all our advantages and technology humanity ended up perishing due to the same hand that once nurished them to the peak of their existence. The only people that still remember the life before the war are the Ghouls, and everyone shuns them, simply because their appearance isn't physically appealing. What stories they could tell you. What it feels like to smell the salty air from the sea without risking catching some serious rads. How to play real baseball. The old traditions us Americans used to celebrate like Thanksgiving or Christmas."

She paused to look at Piper, who's cigarette had died without a second drag during the conversation, and smiled faintly when she saw the curiosity and eagerness in the reporter's eyes.

"You mean there is another way to play baseball than that dude from Diamond City always tells us?"

Shepard nodded before poking some life back into the campfire and made a gesture with her hand, wordlessly signalizing that Piper should probably get at least a few hours of sleep before their mission tomorrow.

"Yeah, I can show you one of these days if we manage to get our hands on some gloves, a bat and a ball. Now try to get some sleep, I'll make sure the fire stays lit."

Piper's euphoric imagination was interrupted by a violent shiver from her body as yet another gust of wind swept through the damaged shack and she huddled deeper into her sleeping bag after tossing the butt of her cigarette into the dark, mind coming up with numerous ideas of what _real baseball_ would even look like.

"Darn cold", she muttered as the fire continued crackling in the background, not doing much to keep the woman warm in the dead of this late fall night. She closed her eyes and it didn't take long for her to fall into a light slumber, a habit she had picked up on due to her travels with her redheaded lover, and vivid images of pre-war baseball filled her mind. Or at least what she thought it would look like.

She was standing out in the field, the grass dancing around her feet as the breeze swept a familiar scent into her nose, a scent she couldn't quite put her finger on. Her hands were firmly gripping the wooden exterior of the bat and she felt how worn it was from exessive use from whatever time period it originated from. Clueless as to how she should properly use it she tried turning her head to look at her mentor when calloused fingertips gently directed her head to face what was directly in front of her, keeping her gaze straight forward.

"Gaze always straight ahead, never leaving the target", a voice whispered into her ear as strong arms started covering her own, hands placing themselves over hers to guide her into the correct posture. She felt heat spreading over her back and arms, seeping into her bones and filling her chest as the familiar voice continued whispering into her ear, now uttering soft confessions of love rather than giving proper advice on handling a wooden bat. It was then that Piper woke from her slumber and realized that she just felt the transition from sleeping to being awake and tried turning around only to feel the same arms as in her dream hold her in place, wrapped around her form securely and keeping her warm against the still biting wind.

"Blue?", she sleepily mumbled and smiled when she felt soft kisses being pressed against her neck. "What are you doing."

The older woman hummed and nuzzled Piper's dark tresses. "Keeping you warm. Sorry if I woke you up but you were shivering like a leaf and I couldn't bear the thought of you getting sick just because I drag you all the way out here." Shepard grinned and Piper felt the curl of her lips against the back of her neck, making her shiver again but this time it was a pleasant one, especially because she could also feel the woman's arm travelling further south than they needed to be to keep her warm. "Plus you were mumbling the cutest things in your sleep. _"Teach me how to do it?"_ My, I wouldn't have taken you for the naughty kind."

The journalist was glad that she wasn't facing her love so that she could at least hide her from embarrassment reddened face.

"That's not what I-I was dreaming of you teaching me how to play baseball, nothing dirty you pre-war relic", she mumbled before she felt her girlfriend's hand rest on her hip, the other reaching up to pull her frame closer against the taller woman's front.

"I'm just messing with you Piper. Even though I wouldn't be entirely against the idea of another way of teaching."

The survivor tried her best to stiffle her laughter when she felt Piper burrying her face deeper into the fabric of her sleeping bag and sat up slightly before pressing and apologetic kiss to her lover's cheek. "Alright, I think I teased you enough for once night. Come on, try to sleep. I'll be there when you wake up."

A muffled thanks was her reply before the redhead resumed her earlier position of having one free arm and one arm wrapped tightly around the reporter. The fire continued providing both warmth and light, giving an occasional crackle when a branch fell deeper into a pit or when a new one was added to the flames. A good ten minutes passed and Shepard had been sure that Piper had fallen back asleep when suddenly the now unmuffled voice of her love entered her ears and this time those words left _her_ speechless and her mind filled with numerous ideas and visuals the longer she thought about them.

"You can teach me whatever you want when we get back home, Blue."

* * *

So...yeah. Long time no update. Sorry about that but I've been kinda in a blue period (Haha, puns cause blue and Fallout 4 Piper's nickname...? Shutting up now.) and so I didn't feel like writing, but I got over it, mostly, so here have another tale from our Survivor and her beautiful reporter girlfriend. Stay tuned for more my dear readers, and have a nice day!

 **Phrase of the Day**

 _Hope is being able to see that there is light despite all of the darkness._

~Desmond Tutu

 **If you liked it, please** **REVIEW**.

No flaming please.


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